Blood of Love
by Hajimari
Summary: AU. Yuuki is a new girl in school and she is needed for a plan Kaname made to cultivate better vampires. Zero is an unwilling accomplice and his final choice to participate in the plan will determine Yuuki's survival. Zero x Yuuki x Kaname DISCONTINUED
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

A/N: This is the ever first near-morbid story I'm attempting to write. Hope all of you will like it. Enjoy!

Summary: AU. Zero is an advanced vampire. Kaname is a well-respected vampire born with a silver spoon. Yuki is an ordinary girl, who has to make a choice between life and death.

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**_Prologue_**

It was everywhere, the smell, the lust, and the blood.

His senses tingled at the smell of the dead, finding himself lusting for more. His tongue licked the edges of his blood-stained lips, relishing the taste of the red liquid which tasted a little like iron. The body lying on the ground in front of him was slowly degenerating into ashes which were swept away by the sudden breeze.

There wasn't a hint of a crime.

Night was approaching, and the streetlights were flickering as they were switched on. He liked it, they replaced the sun.

He fished a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away the drying blood on his hands, feeling a little more than pity that they should be licked dry. But he was nearing the main street, and nobody in their right minds would lick a reddish substance from their hands. A teenager like him would not be that uncivilized. He would not resort to the last of blood; they would only taste bitter on his tongue.

Turning at a curve around an apartment block, he entered a dead-ended alley. He smirked slightly and raised his head to see the pinkish-orange sky narrowed by the apartment block.

"State your business." He said with a voice filled with authority.

"Night is not here." The voice said nonchalantly. "At least, not yet. Although it is a pleasant time for us, but I assume it does not make any difference for you."

"I said it many times before." He turned back and looked at the intruder sharply. "I will not join the organization. They may all be vampires, but they restrain you, from your bloodlust, from your energy."

"But you want them to, don't you?" The voice said pleasantly. "You may be enjoying the blood you have drawn from random people, but you do not enjoy the sight of their bodies, the knowing of you murdering." The voice came closer to him and its speaker was approaching him.

"Stay back." He warned and the intruder stopped. "My powers are above yours. I can kill you as easily as you have cursed my life."

"I see that you have not kicked the stubborn habit of yours, and your constant refusal has made me very impatient." The voice spoke. "But I shall wait, for I believe that you will come to your senses and join me. My patience has worn thin, but it has quite a bit more to go until it snap. I will be waiting, Zero Kiryu. Do not stretch me any further."

A sudden gust appeared and it disappeared as soon as it started. Zero Kiryu looked back, and only saw the flashing neon lights of the Broadway opposite the street. Nobody was there. He was gone.

Zero pocketed his hands in the pockets of his coat, his knuckles white from clenching his fists. If he didn't know better, that person had something up his sleeve. He might not show it in any way, but Zero knew his intuition never fail him; something wicked was coming his way. Even without his sixth sense, he might have guessed that man was up to something. It had become a trend when he showed up uninvited and unwanted, to the display of his powers in the most amusing and tragic way.

No, he should be surprised anymore, shouldn't have second thoughts about joining the organization. They promised great power, which came with a restriction. The irony was obvious, and he thought that they think he was dumb to not spot the hole they made in the deal.

The sky was now dark and sprinkled with shining stars. The streets were filled with people, streaming from commercial buildings and offices. Zero could detect a faint hint of blood, and his bloodlust returned. Even though he just had his meal, he was greedy for dessert.

He followed his senses, which led him to a little girl. She was tripped and her knee was grazed. Somebody who seemed to be her father and helping her up, speaking words of comfort that provided rather little console, for tears continue to slide down her cheeks. Zero felt a pang on his chest.

"_You may be enjoying the blood you have drawn from random people, but you do not enjoy the sight of their bodies, the knowing of you murdering."_

That man was right. Zero suddenly felt nauseous, and cupped his hand over his mouth. The temptation was strong, for fresh blood was only in front of his eyes. He wanted to control himself for once. It would be wrong to kill a lovable child, but the thought of a child's blood, the most delicious blood of all, excited him.

He ran away, the bloodlust fading as the scent of the blood became more and more distant. He stopped by a light pole, panting and thinking. Was this his life? Was this life bearable for another nine hundred and fifty years, or more?

A shadow loomed from his. Zero recognized that shape of the shadow, and his senses told him that it was that bloody persistent man.

"Let me help you." He said.

Zero looked up at him, but his eyes showed concede, the determination that dwells in his eyes disappeared. He grabbed the man's coat and collapsed on his knees.

"I take it as a yes." The man said; his voice of a hidden smugness.

"Yes, Kaname Kuran."

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A/N: Please review? :)


	2. Cross Yuuki

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight

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**_Cross Yuuki_**

Cross Yuuki played with the hems of her black knee-length skirt while the metal crosses on her bracelet made soft clinking noises.

"I'm telling you, Yuuki," Her mother, Cross Yumi said in a distressed voice, "You should present yourself better on your first day of school."

"What's wrong with this?" Yuuki said softly and looked down at her clothes. She wore a black blouse with frills and ribbons, a black skirt which flared out a little, and black shoes with high frilly white shoes. "I look like a doll." She said with a tiny smile. The truth in her words never seemed more true as her hair has a brownness in it and her eyes was somewhere between the colour of red and brown. If she can be shrunk, she could pass off as a doll easily.

"Which isn't very appropriate on your first day of school." Yumi continued from her daughter's sentence. "Being Barbie isn't a good thing sometimes. You should wear something normal, something like a simple shirt and jeans."

"I'll be normal if I had a proper family." Yuuki rebutted softly.

"Yuuki, not this again…"

"Why do you two have to separate? I don't understand." Yuuki questioned angrily.

"It's just a separation, Yuuki. We'll get back together when some issues have been settled." Yumi explained without a twitch of anger.

"Stop lying, mom," Yuuki said and folded her arms. "You two separated because dad was unsatisfied with you going on thousand of business trips in a month and coming back home at two in the morning for almost everyday."

"Well, that is a reason." Yumi confessed. "But there is something else we have to settle, some…issues."

"What's more important than your daughter's wish for have a happy family?" Yuuki said helplessly. "Why can't you leave your job for a bit?"

"What I'm doing helps to pay everything for you and your father…"

"I can give up my credit cards, mom. Just get back with dad." Yuuki pleaded. She was at a point of tears but she didn't want to show to her mother. When the car stopped, Yuuki realized that they had reached her school.

"Here's your new school, honey." Yumi said lovingly, which also meant the end of the conversation about the family. "Have a good day."

As Yuuki got out of the car, she didn't say a word, still feeling miserable that she hasn't got the point across to her mother.

"Yuuki," Yumi unwind the car window so that she could hold her daughter's hand. "There are reasons why we separated, and I can't tell you right now. Just remember, this is all for your own good, and your father's as well."

"Goodbye mom." Yuuki said half-heartedly, still not taking in her words.

"You'll understand it someday, honey." Yumi forced a smile. "Goodbye and have a nice day in school."

Yuuki watched her mother's car drive away and then turned back to the school building where she was supposed to spend for the next three years. It loomed over her, but it did not seem intimidating. Still, she was nervous from the thought of being in an unfamiliar environment, where she would have to walk alone by the corridors to her classrooms and eat lunch alone as if she was being alienated.

She breathed deeply and walked into the school. She looked around the foyer and wondered where was the general office, which she would be then guided to the classroom and given her timetable. However, it seems like she don't even know any directions. How was she going to survive the day?

"Excuse me?" The voice said politely, prompting Yuuki to look at the speaker. She was amazed by his looks, which was full of charm and a sort of coolness which caught her breath by two intervals. "You don't look familiar. Are you new?"

"Y…yeah," Yuuki managed to say. Her eyes were fixed on his face. How could anyone have such handsome and out-of-this-world features? Quickly, she scanned for his profile. The guy has brown hair which was near shoulder-length, purplish red eyes and a slim but strong build, not muscle-packed.

"My name is Kaname Kuran." He smiled pleasantly and offered a handshake. "I'm the head prefect and I am supposed to give you an orientation around the school; at least, for today."

"Thank you." Yuuki said gratefully; more grateful than she had been her whole life. Now she won't be wandering around the corridors looking for her assigned classroom, not eat alone at lunch or be a lonely puppy in a place she doesn't really belong to; at least for today. A friend can't be that hard to find, right?

Yuuki was led to the general office where the lady at counter gave her a hearty welcome and a few words of comfort. Her timetable was laminated, which surprised Yuuki for their thoughtfulness. She assessed her timetable with Kaname, who was, strangely, in all of her class.

"They have limited subjects here so it's not much of a surprise." Kaname suggested with a smile which finalized that conversation.

Yuuki's first class was homeroom, where she was introduced to all of her classmates. They welcomed her with applause, making her feel slightly more welcomed when she first entered the school. There were no more empty seats except for the one at the back, nearest to the window. Kaname sat two seats away to the side and in the middle sat a white-haired guy who she had noticed, stared at her intently from the first step she made into the classroom.

Yuuki took her seat at that empty spot and homeroom commenced. The teacher told everyone about the upcoming events and all the boring administrative matters. Rules and words of caution did not interest Yuuki, and so she looked outside the window where the sky was graying and darker clouds overlapped the white ones slowly.

She turned back to the classroom and surveyed around. She wanted to take a look at their faces, familiarize with them for safety measures. Carefully, she took a glance at the person sitting next to her. He was reading his book, clearly not very attentive at homeroom either. Yuuki tried to search his face but it was part covered by the book he was reading. All she could see was his fair complexion and his white hair.

"Stop looking at me like that." He put down his book gently and looked at Yuuki. His lips moved so subtly that Yuuki didn't know he spoke, but somehow knew that the voice can only belong to him. She looked into his eyes and realized that they were of pale purple, a beautiful colour in those eyes of his.

"I'm sorry." Yuuki said nervously and immediately faced the front again. Her heart raced suddenly and she didn't know why. _Probably from the shock_, she thought, remembering what happened a few seconds ago and a shade of red crept onto her cheeks.

"Cross, are you listening to a word I'm saying." The teacher's voice amplified and snapped Yuuki out of her reverie.

"Ye…yes, sir." Yuuki replied and was thankfully out of the teacher's radar for a few short moments. She knew that teachers were most likely to rule you out for anymore inattentiveness or mischievousness for ten minutes or so after the first time, thinking they had you scared and you won't dare to do something else other than fixed your eyes on him. But Yuuki had unlocked the secret mindset of theirs since her 5th grade days, and they don't threaten her anymore.

"My name is Zero Kiryu."

Yuuki suddenly turned her head. She looked strangely at the white-haired guy, wondering if he was trying to be friends with her, rather than a mere friendly introduction statement.

"I'm…"

"Cross Yuuki." He completed her introduction. "You know, I do listen."

"Yeah, well, good for you." Yuuki muttered audibly, gritting her teeth at what she thought was a mockery. But at the same time, she felt that she was being challenged. At what, she didn't know. All she knew that things haven't got on right with this guy, and she was about to let him taste how it was like when you're on her list, the good list though. _I'm going to make you my friend, Zero Kiryu_, she thought, amused at her own candidness. It was a good way to start school.

--X--

"_Is she the one?"_

"_Yes, she is what we're looking for."_

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A/N: Review please?


	3. Silent Stranger

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

A/N: I made a mistake in the previous chapter! The name of Yuuki's mother should be Juri just like in the anime and **not** Yumi. Apparently, I mixed up the names so please take note!

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**_Silent Stranger_**

"So how was school today, honey?" Juri asked as she scooped mashed potato into her daughter's plate. "Were the teachers nice? Did you make any new friends?"

"Mom, I'm not a news source." Yuuki replied with a frown.

"Manners, Yuuki." Her father, Haruka Cross said with obvious displeasure. "It is rare for us to gather and have dinner together."

"School was excellent." Yuuki said after hearing her father's words. She secretly rolled her eyes. Her father was leaving after dinner anyway so what was the point? If there was any, Yuuki couldn't see it. "I made friends and yes, the teachers were nice."

"That's good to hear." Juri said which meant the end of the conversation because ultimately, there was nothing else to talk about.

When dinner was over, Yuuki sat in the living room and watched the movie featured on the television with her father while Juri did the dishes.

"Will you and mom ever be together?" Yuuki asked.

"Definitely, once we settle some matters." Haruka patted her shoulder and pulled his daughter into a small embrace.

"When will that be?" The brown-haired girl turned to her father with a hopeful glint in her eyes. Haruka shook his head and smiled gently, "I don't know Yuuki. But I promise you that we'll be a proper family again."

Yuuki forced a smile. She wasn't assured at all by her father's words. There was something unsettling in his tone and uncertainty in his voice. She sighed deeply and nodded to Haruka's words of promise. However, deep down, she didn't exactly buy them.

Suddenly, the ringing of the doorbell brought Yuuki back from her reverie. "I'll go open it." She offered and went to door to see the visitors. She was surprised that there were even visitors in this late of a night.

When the door opened, she saw a pale lady dressed in black, a great contrast to her fair complexion. Yuuki looked at the lady, half-wondering who she was and half-admiring her subtle beauty, especially her emerald green eyes.

"Good evening." The lady smiled and greeted crisply. "Is Juri in?"

"Yes, she is." Yuuki nodded her head. Facing the inside of the house, she announced loudly, "Mom, someone is looking for you."

"Oh my," Yuuki distinctly heard her mother's fumbled voice while her footsteps told of her nearing presence. "Who is it this late at…?" Juri immediately halted at the sight of the visitor. Yuuki saw her face tensed and her forehead slowly creased to a frown.

"What are you doing here?" Juri's voice turned stony cold and harsh.

"We wouldn't like your daughter here to listen to private matters such as this, right?" The lady rebutted without any anger, rather, she seemed to mock Juri for her less-than-welcome greeting.

Juri straightened up and with a solemn and strict voice, she said to the visitor, "Follow me, we'll talk privately."

"It's just like you to be so rational." The lady said with a small smile and hung her coat on the coat hanger without any warm invitation from Juri.

"Nice to meet you, Yuuki," The lady offered a hand towards the confused brown-haired girl. "My name is Yuri."

"Nice to meet you…how did you know my name?" Yuuki asked slowly.

"Your mother talks about you a lot." Yuri said warmly.

"Yuri," Juri called loudly.

"I'm sorry but your mother is calling me." Yuri said pleasantly with a small smile. "It's great to see you all grown up, Yuuki."

As Yuri trailed behind Juri, Yuuki walked behind her to return to the living room. She realized that her father gave the similar cold reaction to Yuri despite her warm smile and an acknowledging nod and wondered about the odd reactions from both her parents.

"Dad, who is she?" Yuuki asked curiously. "Why are the both of you acting so strange towards her?"

"She is an acquaintance." Haruka answered stiffly much to Yuuki's surprise for her father was never unfriendly in her eyes. "You just need to know that."

"But…" Yuuki wanted to prompt further but loud sounds erupted from the room where Juri and Yuri were in.

"Don't you touch my family, Yuri!" Yuuki heard her mother's voice loud and clear. She suddenly felt afraid for her mother was never this fierce before, not even when Yuuki threw a precious family heirloom of a vase out of a tantrum when she was ten.

Just as suddenly her mother's voice boomed, it subsided quickly. Yuuki looked worriedly at her father but he merely gave a thin smile and told her to go up to her room.

"Dad…?" Yuuki paused and looked at her father with confusion but he was already on his way to the room.

She was at a loss on what to do. Should she eavesdrop at the adults' conversation or should she listen to her father, be a nice girl and return to her room? Yuuki shook her head and with a determined face, she quietly tiptoed to the door and pressed her ear against the cool wooden door.

"Yuri, have we no other choice?" Yuuki heard that it was her father's voice.

"Not that I know of," _Yuri_. "This is what you get for marrying a hunter, sister." Yuuki gasped soundlessly at the revelation that Yuri was her mother's sister, which makes Yuri her aunt. "We asked you not to but you went ahead. Look at the mess you created for yourself, for yourselves."

"Why can't they leave us in peace?" Yuuki heard her mother's voice near crying.

"It is a crime for a vampire of pureblood to marry a human, much less a hunter." Yuri said in a solemn voice. "Juri, the council has decided that they will give you peace in exchange for your daughter." Yuuki widened her eyes and fear was pumping itself in her veins. She wasn't sure what they were talking about but she was sure about one thing: she was about to become, no, she _was_ an object for exchange.

"No, don't talk me into this, Yuri." Yuuki strained her ear to hear her mother. "I know what they'll do to her. Yuuki has both human and vampire blood. They make her an experimental object and make something that would enable vampires to survive in the sun. You know as well as I do that must not happen."

"So you will run for the rest of your lives, Juri?" Yuri asked.

Finally, Yuuki couldn't take it anymore. She ran back to her room with quick but quiet footsteps lest they knew of her presence. Her heart was throbbing with the sudden burst of unpleasant information. She was a vampire? It seemed like a nightmare but that had been what the adults had said. She had been a half-vampire all her life even knowing it. There were so much emotions welling up inside her that she didn't know what to make out of them.

Suddenly, the windows cracked. The damage on the windows was slight but the crisp noise of the cracking made Yuuki jolt.

She opened the windows regardless of the cracks to get some fresh air. There was a tempting thought about escaping the house from the time-being. It was easy since her room was facing a tree with its branches flared out welcomingly, as if inviting her to go out into the night. But that thought was quickly dispelled and she sighed deeply. Her head hurt from all the thinking and the making of sense.

"Your blood smells nice."

Yuuki jolted and looked around her for the voice but couldn't find the speaker. Her heart beat quickly with fear. "Come, come to me." The voice said again and this time, Yuuki could trace the voice out into the night. Inhaling deeply, she tried to be brave and climbed down the tree to venture into the night. Just as her feet touched the ground, Yuuki saw a swift movement and the next thing she knew, a person was grabbing her neck and slowly sinking his fingers into her skin.

Yuuki grimaced with pain and managed to make out the attacker. He looked like a normal human but as Yuuki strain her eyes, she saw that his eyes were scarlet red, gleaming.

"You have delicious blood." The attacker said and opened his mouth. Yuuki gasped when she saw his fangs; he was a vampire.

Yuuki struggled and tried to pull his hands off her neck. She was breathing heavily due to the lack of air but managed to use all her strength to free herself from him. But the effort was futile for he was obviously stronger than her.

She could feel the tip of his fangs touching her skin. Her heart pounded against her chest and her blood pumped quickly through her veins. With the lack of air, Yuuki didn't have anymore strength to deter her aggressor. Her arms fell fragilely and her eyes closed in submission.

Just as Yuuki thought she was a goner, a new voice spoke with frightening coolness, "I feel sorry for you." Yuuki thought that voice was familiar but in her shocked state, she didn't care except the fact that she now has hope to live after all.

When the vampire let go of Yuuki, the brown-haired girl was grateful for air. She coughed violently for a while and only saw the two shadows moving swiftly in aggression, attacking each other. _Who are they?_ Yuuki thought fearfully.

Suddenly, she saw a person running towards her, so fast that she was unable to see his face but only knew he was the one who will save her. His hands went over her eyes and covered them tightly.

"Don't look." The voice instructed coolly. Despite the fact that her eyes were covered, Yuuki still obeyed and closed her eyes behind those large warm hands.

Suddenly, Yuuki felt a burst of strong wind. She could feel it slashing on her skin painfully but she knew that she wasn't the least injured. The cries from her attacker told her his agony but it slowly fade away. She knew he was gone.

As the person uncovered her eyes, Yuuki could feel her consciousness slipping as her eyelids grew heavy and her eyes instinctively closed. "Who are you?" She managed to ask before she fell on the ground of lush green grass with only half a consciousness.

Still, there was no answer.

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A/N: I hope this chapter isn't that awkward. It is a mystery and supernatural story after all. Hope you enjoyed it!

Review please?


	4. Getting Close

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

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_**Getting Close**_

Zero's mind was blank and his expression emotionless. All he was thinking about was to pound at Kaname's door and demand answers from him. And that was what he did when he rushed up to the students' private hostel that only house vampires and banged on Kaname's door violently. It attracted much attention but Zero didn't care. He was so filled with fury that he would use his powers to knock down his door if necessary, not giving a care that it was disrespect to a pure-blood vampire.

"What the hell are you doing?!" A familiar voice asked angrily. Zero turned to see Aidou, a classmate and a close companion of Kaname. His eyes were slowly brightening into crimson. "It's disrespectful to Kaname."

"Shut up." Zero said softly but audibly to a shocked Aidou whose anger was fueled. "Open the damn door, Kaname."

"I warned you but you didn't listen." Aidou said dangerously in a soft voice. Suddenly, ice suddenly formed around him and small sharp icicles conjured in front of him. Zero felt the sudden chill in the surroundings but he didn't back away. Instead, he faced Aidou as if waiting for his attack. The blond vampire saw Zero's guts and became so angry that the icicles in the air dashed towards Zero with an intention to kill.

Several vampires were screaming for the two to stop fighting and some were amused at the sight, for they knew that with a little luck, they will be able to drink off the one who dies.

"Stop it, Aidou." A soft cool voice said coldly and the sharp icicles stop just a few inches from Zero's face, yet he didn't feel any fear.

"But Kaname," Aidou said quickly and pointed accursedly at the white-haired vampire. "He disrespected you. Aren't you angry? He is unworthy of your attention…"

Slap.

There were small gasps from the surrounding vampires who were witnessing the scene and small discussions ensued. Aidou's hand immediately touched his cheek which stung with the pain and brightly coloured with red. He looked up abruptly in disbelief at Kaname who had his poker face on. "Ka…Kaname," he said, shocked.

"No vampire is unworthy of anyone's attention except the Level Fs, Aidou." Kaname said coldly. His eyes scanned the crowd of surrounding vampires who immediately fell silent when they felt his subtly strong power. "Zero is in the same league as us and even more powerful than some pure-bloods. He is definitely worth my attention."

"Ka…Kaname…"

"I do not want this to repeat again, Aidou." Kaname said softly. Then he took out a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to Aidou, who took it with astonishment and embarrassment from the slap that was made quite public. "Goodnight." He said very softly and with the usual kindness in his voice as he turned around and returned to Zero's side, leaving behind a baffled yet grateful Aidou.

"Come into my room." Kaname said to Zero, masking any emotions in his voice.

When both of them entered Kaname's room, Zero went to sit at the couch without any offer. He stared fiercely at Kaname who was pouring himself something red which smells like red wine. But Zero knew that it was only disguised as red wine in every way, and that it was blood.

"Imported," Kaname said suddenly which caused Zero to jolt. "I have secret sources which delivers fine quality blood from all over the world. Only the freshest ones are in this cabinet." Zero glanced through the wine cabinet and saw many bottles of red stuff with different labels to disguise them as alcohol. "Would you care for some?" Kaname asked politely but when Zero didn't reply, he chuckled grimly and said, "I'm sorry for asking when I knew the answer."

He approached the couch and sat opposite Zero. "It is a wonderful night tonight, isn't…" Kaname said but was stopped short.

"Did you send the Level-F?" Zero asked coldly, his voice clearly showed his desire to crush the neck of the pure-blood sitting opposite him.

"What are you talking about?" Kaname said coolly and sipped from the glass of blood, swirling it and smelt its aroma gratefully.

"A Level-F went to Yuuki Cross's house and attempted to kill her." Zero said, staring at Kaname without blinking. There was a passionate resolution to use his powers against him and Zero knew he could finish him off easily. Yet, he couldn't do it. "You set it up, didn't you?"

"Why should you care, Zero?" Kaname said crossly and sat his glass on the coffee-table between them. "You had promised me that you will help me to obtain the solution for vampires to walk in sunlight, to tolerate it and to be able to survive with it. Now after I offer you the solution to your bloodlust, you turn your back against me?" Zero kept quiet so Kaname continued, "Honestly speaking, you are a rare vampire, Zero. You have choices to make when you bite humans for their blood; you can either bite them and turn them into Level-Fs, or you can choose for them not to become Level-Fs. Obviously, you never turn anyone into Level-Fs. That's quite kind of you, Zero. And you are that kind because of us. We helped you to discover this gift you have. Without us, you'll be turning the millions you had bitten into Level-Fs." Kaname took another sip from his glass and smiled thinly at Zero. "You do realize that by saving Yuuki tonight, you have breached our contract by some degree, don't you?" He said softly.

"Still, there was no need to kill Yuuki." Zero said in a lower voice that hid his guilt.

"Are you close to her?" Kaname said mockingly but received a death glare from Zero. "No? Then you wouldn't be so concerned about someone who we _need_ to cultivate better vampires, would you?"

Zero stood up abruptly and quickly, heading towards the door. He stopped before opening the door fully and said, "You better not make anymore moves on Yuuki Cross or you'll be sorry." Then he slammed the door behind him and headed towards his own room.

That night, Zero laid in his bed, thinking. Why did he threaten Kaname because of a girl who just arrived in his school? At first, he didn't mind the contract he made with Kaname, about how he would help him in his quest to cultivate better vampires if he helped him to control his bloodlust, or to satisfy without turning anyone into Level-Fs. But now, seeing that the best solution was the blood of Yuuki Cross, he was hesitant. Damn, he even saved her from the clutches of death that evening.

Yuuki Cross. Brown hair, amber eyes, rather short in height, weirdly cheerful personality and too friendly and naïve; that was his profile of her when he saw her in school. She was normal and not the best in math, but she drew Zero in somehow.

"Yuuki Cross," Zero said her name, his lips forming the distinctive and respective shape of each syllable of her name. He suddenly wishes he knew more about Yuuki and she was here with him right now…

The next day in school, Zero came unexpectedly early. Many students were surprised for he was always late for class, or at least, he managed to avoid detention by coming into class a few seconds before the bell rang. Nobody questioned because they knew they will faint from only a glare of his. Zero knew that this popular trend of his was noticed by the students and even when he heard them talking about it, he just ignore it because that was the way he is.

"Good morning, Yuuki." Those morning greetings from Zero's classmates caught the silver-haired boy's attention. He saw the familiar amber-eyed girl making her way through the class and returning greetings to her friends. Her face showed fake cheerfulness towards her friends, hoping they wouldn't question her on her mood that day. Zero knew she was in a distress because of the night before. He felt a twinge of pride and guilt for saving her from the Level-F but he knew by doing so, he had lost some trust from Kaname.

When Yuuki reached her table, she placed her bag down and gave a small sigh. Zero looked at her and said nothing. Then he saw her turning towards him and said with a small smile, "Good morning, Zero."

Zero froze and stared at Yuuki for a few seconds before regaining her composure and acknowledged her greeting with a nod.

"You're not very friendly, aren't you?" Yuuki said, looking at Zero observantly.

"You never seem to stop being friend, do you?" Zero retorted.

"I can't believe you are friends with Kaname." Yuuki spoke and gave another sigh. Zero felt blood rushing through his veins as he heard that. He wanted to laugh in disgust and say that he would rather not have any friends than to have one that was Kaname. But of course, he didn't say that. He didn't reply her at all. "Even though you do hang out with Kaname," Yuuki continued, "The both of are complete opposites."

"Yeah, whatever." Zero rolled his eyes and took a book from under his table and began to read distractedly. He was sure that if the conversation went on, he would be hearing all the good points about Kaname, and that would leave him feeling disgusted for a few hours.

During break, Zero went to rest under the trees along the basketball courts. It was a fairly warm day so nobody in their right mind would play basketball and risk sunburn. But Zero wanted to be warm for a while after several periods of lessons in the air-conditioned classroom. There was no one except for Zero himself, and that meant silence, something he like to experience a little more than once in a while.

"Hello Zero." The said guy looked up and saw Yuuki in front of him. Zero stared at her in surprise, wondering why she was here. He didn't particularly like people to interrupt his silence, but he decided to make an exception for Yuuki.

"Why are you here?" Zero asked while Yuuki settled herself comfortably next to him.

"I want to be friends with you, Zero." Yuuki said, causing the purple-eyed boy to look at her confusedly. "You're so cold to everyone." She continued. "It seems that Kaname is the only one who can get close to you and you keep the others away. Doesn't it get lonely?"

Zero rested his head on the bark of the tree behind him. "What does it mean to be lonely," He chuckled grimly, "To have no friends at all or to have friends that don't understand you at all?"

"I can try to understand you, Zero." Yuuki protested childishly and Zero saw fierce determination in her eyes. "If I can do that, then I can be friends with Zero, right?"

"Yeah right, keep dreaming." Zero said and Yuuki was silent. _But it would be good if someone can truly understand_, Zero thought wistfully.

"Hey, Zero?" Yuuki spoke suddenly.

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"You saved me last night." Yuuki said gratefully. "So thank you very much."

Zero stared at Yuuki, agape. "What…what are you talking about?"

"I smelt your blood yesterday night." Yuuki explained and she reached out for Zero's arm. As she pulled up his sleeve, she said, "You were hurt last night, weren't you?" Then Zero's bandages were revealed before Yuuki, who touched the wounded area gently. "And you didn't tell anyone?" Yuuki asked, raising an eyebrow at Zero because from the look of the messy bandages, she knew that he had attended the wound by himself.

"No," Zero answered simply and faced the front. When he heard some rumbling noises from Yuuki's side, he turned and saw her fumbling with a small first aid kit and asked, "What are you doing?"

Yuuki didn't reply but Zero noticed her concentrated expression and decided not to disturb her. After a while, Yuuki said, "Bring out your arm."

"Why?" Zero raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to rewrap your dressings again." Yuuki said patiently. "These messy bandages wouldn't last a day if you ask me."

Zero felt offended a little. It wasn't his fault that he wasn't born with first-aid flair but he knew Yuuki was right. If his wound wasn't sealed properly, the smell of his blood would stir unease among other vampires. Reluctantly, he trusted Yuuki on his arm and as he saw Yuuki redoing new bandages, he realizes she was actually good in first-aid and instincts told him she scores As in health class.

"All done!" Yuuki exclaimed happily and closed her small first-aid kit box. Zero snapped out of his reverie and looked at his new dressings in amazement. "Thank you." He managed softly.

"No problem." Yuuki said with a smile. Then she grabbed Zero's hand and willed him to stand up. "We're going to be late for class. Let's go."

As they walked to the school building, Zero asked, "How do you know it was me yesterday night?"

Yuuki stopped at her tracks and Zero turned to her with a confused expression. "Yuu…Yuuki?" He said her name uncertainly.

"I'm a half-vampire, Zero." Yuuki confessed.

"I…I know." Zero said a little guiltily.

"And this morning, I realized that some of our classmates are vampires as well." Yuuki said. "Including you and Kaname."

Then she said no more and they continued making their way to class. Zero was baffled and confused, but inside, he knew that another issue was troubling her. But he said nothing.

Back in class, Kaname stopped Zero as he began to sit down. "You redid your bandages?"

"What do you mean?" Zero narrowed his eyes fiercely at the pure-blood.

"It's a pity." Kaname let go of Zero's arm and said with a thin smile, "I really love the smell of your blood."

* * *

A/N: Some things weren't as straightforward in this chapter so feel free to ask any questions in your reviews.

And please review! They make me happy :)


	5. At a Loss

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

A/N: Sorry for the late update. It's school vacation right now and I'm too lazy to do anything except maybe (and forcibly) homework and assignments. Thanks for those who reviewed the previous chapter! Hope you'll enjoy this one!

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_**At a loss**_

This day was the one day Yuuki wished school would never end. She didn't want to go home. How can she face her parents and their fake smiles? She was the cause of their unhappiness, the fruit of a forbidden love, and a solution to her parents' peaceful lives. If she was surrendered to whatever vampire association she overheard from her Aunt Yuri, her parents would lead normal lives without a need to worry. They wouldn't be on the WANTED list of vampires. Yuuki wanted to be noble, but she couldn't bring herself to sacrifice herself. Why was she wanted? What would they do to her if they got their hands on her? She didn't know but she knew it wouldn't be pleasant.

_Is it selfish of me?_ Yuuki asked herself bitterly.

As she entered the classroom and walked to her seat, she heard Kaname telling Zero in a low voice, "It's a pity. I really love the smell of your blood."

Yuuki jolted uncomfortably and sat down on her seat. The different smells of blood filled her nostrils and with a little curiosity, she seeks out the smell of Zero's blood. Was it as sweet as Kaname claims? Directing her attention at the purple-eyed boy, her nose twitched as she inhaled deeply. Her eyes widened in shock as she smelt his blood. It was different from normal vampires, even sweeter than Kaname's blood of pure vampire lineage. She smelt great power in Zero's blood.

"Stop that." Zero said, causing Yuuki to snap out from her reverie.

"What?" Yuuki feigned innocence.

"Your nose is twitching a lot. You are smelling my blood. I don't like it." Zero stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, that." Yuuki said softly. "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

Zero nodded in acknowledgement of her apology and went on to read his book. Yuuki frowned; does this person ever know how to have fun? But deeper inside, she was thankful he didn't snap at her for intruding his blood, which was rare from someone so cold. To top that, Zero had saved her from last night's sudden attack.

Then a thought entered her mind: who was that attacker? She remembered crimson eyes, sharp fangs and the great agility of him but she could comprehend the person completely. _Could it be someone from the vampire association?_ Yuuki thought, feeling a tingle in her spine. So now she knew she was a target of assassination. There are so many questions in her mind which she didn't have answers to. Yuuki knew she needed help but from who? She didn't want her parents to know that she knew of their secret; Zero was a considerably close acquaintance but he frightened her somehow.

"You look troubled, Yuuki." The brown-haired girl jerked and turned around to that charming voice which belongs to Kaname.

"K-Kaname," Yuuki said with noticeable shock and surprise in her voice. She never thought Kaname Kuran, the most popular guy of all would talk to her as a friend. He was worried about her, which Yuuki took as a great honor and flattery. "W-Why would you say that?" She asked.

"You are frowning." Kaname spoke coolly. "It's not pretty. Yuuki is more beautiful when she smiles."

"Ah…" Yuuki blushed furiously at his compliment, steam pouring from her head. "I…um…" She was at a loss for words. When the teacher came into the class, Yuuki heaved a sigh of relief, glad that she didn't need to reply Kaname with inferior sentences and words.

"Please smile more, Yuuki." Kaname said with a smile before returning to his seat.

_What a Casanova_, Yuuki thought, but smiled happily as she felt his concern. She felt that she was so happy that her chest from burst from containing too much happiness. Yuuki was so caught up in her smiles to notice the frowns plastered on Zero's face.

------X------

Kaname sensed Yuuki's uneasiness in her blood. He knew this moment would be where he comes in and lure her to him under the disguise that he was helping her. But seeing the girl's frowns and the creases on her forehead, Kaname felt a pang on his chest. He didn't know why except for the fact that Yuuki's smiles exuded happiness and brightness even when they are sad. Her smiles were the perfect façade for every negative emotion she felt.

In the decades he lived, Kaname had sworn to bring glory to the vampire race somehow. He was the highest ranking pure-blood and all vampires have respect for him. Surely this Yuuki Cross couldn't falter his determination for a better future for his race.

_What am I thinking?_ Kaname closed his eyes to calm himself down. He glanced at Yuuki surreptitiously and noticed her dazed expression.

_Don't you dare look at her._ Zero's voice sounded in his head. Kaname smirked and looked mockingly at the white-haired boy sitting next to him.

_What are you going to do about it, Zero?_ Kaname replied in his head and saw his cold glare. One of the advantages of being a vampire was that the privileged ones like him and Zero can communicate using telekinesis. _Don't worry; I won't harm her just yet. We're still having lessons._

Zero's voice didn't appear in Kaname's head anymore.

-------X-------

Zero wanted to deny but he couldn't. The thought of having a major crush on Yuuki was haunting him. It was so unlike Zero to fall in love but he did. He kept replaying the short time he spent with her under the tree outside the school building, how her touch was gentle as she redid his dressing, and how her voice trembled with fear as she confessed herself being a half-vampire.

_I-I want to help_, Zero thought in realization. But another question came in mind: how? Sure he was an extraordinarily powerful vampire, even more powerful than Kaname, but turning back on his promise to the pure-blood would mean sacrificing his pride and be named a betrayer. He love his pride and wasn't about to give it up anytime now.

He was just going to see how things go. If Yuuki is in danger, he would save her and if Kaname questions his loyalty, he just has to stall him.

------X-------

It wasn't a simple decision but Yuuki managed to convince herself that she could do it. It was her duty as a daughter after all and if she could ensure her parents' safety, she would do whatever that was needed. She already had fifteen years of peace and enjoyment.

Even with this determination, her true feelings were displayed in her heavy footsteps. She was nervous and afraid. Would they torture her once she surrenders herself? Why did they want her for? The same question resounded in her head until her eyes saw the address she was looking for: 12 Euphoria Street, her Aunt Yuri's place. At least going to her aunt's place was the first step. She would tell Yuri that she'll surrender herself to the vampires, and ask her to assist in her task.

Her eyes assessed the double-storied terrace house which gave off a happy vibe as the bushes of brightly-coloured flowers welcomed visitors to the doorway. There were normal-looking white pickle fence and dim lights at the porch. It didn't seem like a vampire's residence. Yuuki assumed that there'll be plastic bats or pumpkins or something all over like in Halloween, but she remembered this was no festival or folktale or vampire movies shown in cinemas.

This was as real as gravity is present on earth. Yuuki wished that all these weren't true, and that vampires are only supernatural creatures that exist in comics and movies and books. But when she twitched her nose, she could smell blood all over the town, sweet iron aroma. This was definitely not a dream.

Bravely, she inhaled the night air and walked slowly through the fence. _Just a little bit more_, Yuuki thought even when the door was still a fair distance from her. Her heart was pounding and small beads of perspiration formed on her temples.

Finally, she reached the door. Yuuki could feel her heart racing, her blood rushing through her brain and her stomach churning with fear. Praying for courage and mustering it, she reached for the doorbell with a trembling hand and finger.

_Don't hesitate!_ She screamed at herself in her mind.

Just as she pressed the doorbell, she heard a loud footstep behind her. Yuuki turned back in shock but was knocked out quickly even before she could see anything but the shadow.

------X-------

"Coming!" A voice called from the house at 12 Euphoria Street.

Yuri opened the door, wondering who the visitor was. As far as she remembered, she wasn't expecting anyone.

But when the door was fully opened, there wasn't a soul in sight. "Hello?" Yuri stepped out and surveyed around the porch and lawn.

When she saw there was no one, she rolled her eyes and muttered, "Stupid kids."

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A/N: So what happened to Yuuki? Well, stay tuned to the next chapter if you want to find out!

Thanks for reading and please review! :)


	6. Safe and Warm

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.

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**_Safe and Warm_**

Small water droplets dropped onto Yuuki's face, awaking her from her slumber. Confusedly, Yuuki sat herself up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. Suddenly, her eyes opened wide in realization as she remembered what happened before. She had gone to her Aunt Yuri's place to surrender herself, and just before she achieved her task, she was knocked out…

"I've been kidnapped?" Yuuki muttered frightfully to herself and surveyed her surroundings.

She was obviously in a room, empty of furniture and dimly-lighted. There was a window at one of the walls and she walked towards it, looking out and up at the dark night sky.

"It's nighttime." Yuuki said softly to herself. She spotted her schoolbag at the corner of the room and fished out her handphone hurriedly to look at the time. She gasped worriedly when she saw that it was already ten, which meant her parents would be worried sick while waiting anxiously for her at home. But what mortified her were the huge red words that materialized on her phone's screen: OUT OF RANGE.

_Where am I?_ Yuuki thought, her fear mounting and her skin grew colder as every second passed. Panicking, Yuuki rushed to the door and attempted to open it. But the doorknob wouldn't twist and was clearly locked from outside. Desperately, Yuuki tried to knock down the door with futile results. "Hey, let me out of here!" She shouted and banged on the door, yet, no one answered or responded.

Yuuki twitched her nose to smell for any trace of blood but couldn't detect any hint of the iron-scented liquid. There weren't any humans or vampires nearby. She was alone and there weren't any kidnappers to keep her company. As Yuuki heard an owl's howl out of the blue, her hairs stood on their ends.

The brown-haired girl looked at the woods from the window and surprisingly found a mud trail in the dark. Yuuki's stomach flipped; that mud trail got to lead to somewhere, anywhere. But first, she knew that she needed to get out. The door was not an option anymore since the second she knew it was locked, so she focused her plan on the window. It was barred by circular wooden bars. Yuuki touched the rough wooden bars and found that they weren't as strong as they looked. She stabled herself by placing one foot on the wall and grabbed hold of the wooden bars tightly. Using all her strength, Yuuki pulled the wooden bars, praying that they will break. The cracking sounds produced from the wooden bars motivated Yuuki and she invested more strength than before.

Finally, the wooden bars broke and Yuuki panted heavily. When she caught her breath, she took her schoolbag and threw it lightly out of the window. And then carefully, Yuuki slid herself through the window, careful not to scratch herself with the sharp ends of the woods. For once, Yuuki was thankful for her petite structure.

Yuuki looked at the woods and the dark mud trail that will lead her into it. She swallowed with anxiety as she took small timid steps into the woods with the light from her handphone illuminating her path.

"At least it's better than staying put at that room." Yuuki reasoned with herself. But suddenly, she wasn't so sure about that. She had a feeling this wasn't normal kidnap but something that involved with vampires. Nonetheless, Yuuki bravely continued down the dark trail, leaving shoeprints on the soft squishy mud.

---------X---------

Ichijou Takuma sat on an armchair in Zero's room, facing the white-haired guy with a passive expression on his face. "I've done what you asked." He said, neither warmth nor coldness in his voice.

"I am really grateful, really." Zero said sincerely even though his face tells otherwise.

"You don't need to. I'm just keeping my promise." Ichijou said with a cold chuckle. "The last time you helped me, I said I owe you one. So now we're even." He stood up and continued, "Just remember of the consequences, Zero. Yuuki Cross is not a normal half-vampire. Even as everyone is unwilling to accept the truth, Yuuki did inherited pure royal vampire blood from her mother. And to top it off, her father was a skilled hunter. Her abilities are uncertain and as far as I'm concerned, she could be as powerful as any pure-bloods. Kaname would break you if he found out you…"

"I know what he'll do and I'm prepared to face the consequences, Ichijou." Zero said, his patience wearing thin. "Thank you for everything you did. Really, I am. Goodnight, Ichijou." His words carried a sense of finality.

Without returning the greeting, Ichijou only nodded in acknowledgement and exited the room. Just as he was closing the door behind him, the vampire saw Kaname and a smile lit up his face. "Kaname, what are you doing here? It's quite late, you know." Ichijou said good-naturedly to his friend.

"I decided to take a walk." Kaname replied and then asked, "Why were you coming out from Zero's room?"

"We were discussing chemistry." Ichijou said quickly but Kaname sensed his uneasiness.

"Chemistry?" Kaname repeated doubtfully.

"Y-Yes," Ichijou confirmed. "Anyway, it's getting late so I better return to my room. Goodnight, Kaname."

When the yellow-haired vampire disappeared into his room at the corner, Kaname frowned. He wasn't naïve to accept Ichijou's claims about discussing chemistry with Zero.

Kaname knocked on Zero's door, waiting for the door to open. But when an exceptionally long time passed, he suspected that something was off. "I'm coming in." Kaname announced as he twisted the doorknob and entered the room.

Once he stepped into the room, Kaname felt a rush of cold wind and heard the sound of leaves rustling. The windows were opened and the curtains flowed gracefully in the violent wind. The pure-blood clenched his fists tightly; angry crimson took over the warm brownness in his eyes. Then he calmed, his heart still beating angrily. He walked to the open window and sniffed out blood.

When he detected that familiar smell of iron belonging to Zero, he smirked. Kaname was rather glad for the faint traces of the iron scent trailed by Zero's wound.

_Tonight should be fairly interesting…_

--------X--------

Zero was shocked beyond words when he reached his destination and discovered that his prisoner had escaped. He was immensely grateful to Ichijou for helping him capture Yuuki, and Zero thought that would be enough to keep the brown-haired safe from the evil clutches of Kaname for even a second. But seeing that the surprisingly alert and intelligent girl had escaped by a small window, Zero doubted she was safe anymore. Out in the wild, anything can happen.

Zero quickly took action. He had to find Yuuki before anyone does because he just had to.

--------X--------

Yuuki thought it had been her imagination, but as the same smell of blood hung in the air over what seems to be a long time to Yuuki, the brown-haired girl sensed something was following her with a dangerous intent.

There weren't footsteps following her and yet, somebody was tailing her, trying successfully to blend in the night without a sound or any movement. Yet, the smell gave him away to the nose of a half-vampire.

Yuuki's footsteps quickened further which slowly accelerated to a run. The creature out there sensed her movement and followed quickly, so quick that he gave away his presence by the noticeable rustling sound of trees. The brown-haired girl sprinted as fast as she could, but when a figure with bright crimson eyes stood before her, Yuuki knew she was outran.

The half-vampire scanned her enemy's profile briefly and cared nothing about the details. All it matters was that he was a vampire.

Yuuki was truly frightened. Her eyes gave away that emotion when she noticed the creature before her smirking. He didn't say anything, but Yuuki knew from his triumphant smile that he was feeling confident of finishing of the petite girl.

_Help…help me!_ Yuuki thought desperately to herself, too frightened to scream because there won't be anyone in these secluded woods anyway. Finally, the vampire made its move, walking slowly towards Yuuki as if savoring her fearful expression. His licked his lips and his eyes showed clear intent for menace.

Suddenly, Yuuki saw a shadow slice through the air and onto the vampire. When her eyes adjusted to the new figure, she realized with shock and relief that it was Zero. After a brief exchange of attacks with the still unknown vampire, Zero stood protectively in front of Yuuki.

"Are you alright?" Zero said with an odd concern in his voice.

"Y-Yes," Yuuki answered. Then her eyes moved from Zero's face to the dark creature in front of them. "Who… What is that?"

"Level E." Zero answered briefly. Just at that moment, the 'Level E' as Zero had called it moved. With superb speed, it appeared in front of Yuuki in a flash. The brown-haired girl could see those intimidating red eyes of her enemy and she gave a cry. However, Zero quickly managed to shield Yuuki from the Level E's threatening moves. When he finally saw the chance, he stabbed a wooden stack through the vampire.

Yuuki was about to scream as she witnessed the horrifying scene, expecting blood to be pouring from the Level E. But when that never came, she managed to stop herself from screaming just in time. The creature's eyes closed and stood its ground, but Yuuki could see him cracking up like a piece of fragile clay, disintegrating into grains of dust that was swept away by the gentle night breeze.

"Level E?" Yuuki said questioningly when it was safely gone. "What is that? Was it the same one that attacked me two nights ago?"

"Why did you leave the house, or that room?" Zero asked and glared angrily at Yuuki, ignoring her question. "Did you think it was any safer than venturing into the dark woods, alone?"

"Well, I thought I was kidnapped and…" Yuuki paused and squinted at Zero suspiciously, "Did _you _kidnap me?"

Zero was momentarily taken aback, but he regained enough composure to say, "It was for your own safety. I was trying to help."

"So you did kidnap me?" Yuuki asked incredulously.

"Well, it wasn't exactly me who kidnapped you." Zero was suddenly speechless but he managed to make a comeback by snapping, "It doesn't who kidnap you. You're safe now, with me." He immediately blushed after he realized what he had said.

"I guess you're right." Yuuki said when she noticed that Zero was the only person with her now. And the couple of times he helped her did mean something, something like he was friends with her now.

"What is that?" Yuuki asked when she saw Zero picking up a plastic bag from the ground.

"Food," The white-haired guy answered and handed them to Yuuki. "I figured you might be hungry." When he saw Yuuki's face light up, his own expression softened. But in that same moment, his eyes roamed around the dark woods, looking at every single detail with distinct caution. His nose caught a familiar scent but that vanished in almost a split second. His eyes narrowed and said, "We better get back to the house. It's still not safe here."

"Why not?" Yuuki asked with a clear sign of naivety in her voice as she munched on the curry bread Zero brought for her.

But Zero didn't reply. Instead, he turned and walked back. Yuuki was confused but she didn't want to be left behind. So she tailed obediently behind Zero, glad for his comforting presence and thankful that he made her feel safer than before. Still, there were so many questions in her mind. Will Zero be able to answer them all?

"I'll explain everything when we return." Zero promised.

"Okay." Yuuki said mildly. She bit her lip and folded the plastic packaging of her half-eaten bread, then dropped into the plastic bag that held some more food. She picked up her pace and then managed to catch up with Zero. Hesitantly, she tugged on his long sleeve and then clung onto the piece of clothing.

"What are you…?" Zero exclaimed but when he saw Yuuki's melancholy expression, he stopped pushing her away.

"I…I just…" Yuuki stuttered because even she didn't know why she was clinging onto him. Maybe she was frightened, that part was definitely true but the brown-haired girl knew that that wasn't the only answer. Then she knew; she felt safe around him. Just as she opened her mouth to speak and to explain, Zero said, "Never mind. I don't mind anyway."

Yuuki smiled gratefully and uttered thanks. And then she realized how awkward and weird it was for a person, who seem so cold towards people, to make her feel warm and safe.

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A/N: Please review? They make me happy :)


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